State News

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, August 14, 2017......... Rejecting arguments about a new lethal-injection procedure, the Florida Supreme Court on Monday refused to block the scheduled Aug. 24 execution of Death Row inmate Mark James Asay.

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, August 9, 2017......... Floridians who have ideas for changing the state Constitution would have until Sept. 22 to submit proposals, under a tentative plan advanced Wednesday by a committee of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission.

The commission's Rules and Administration Committee also voted to set an Oct. 24 deadline for proposals submitted by the commission's 37 members, after an Oct. 10deadline for submitting draft proposals.

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, August 2, 2017......... With computers returned to the discount list, Florida retailers are readying for back-to-school shoppers this weekend during the state's sales-tax “holiday.”

The holiday, which will run Friday through Sunday is a large part of a tax-cut package (HB 7109) that lawmakers passed this spring. The package is projected to provide $91.6 million in tax breaks during the budget year that started July 1.

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, July 20, 2017......... Goldman Sachs Asset Management, which has taken heat for its purchase of $2.8 billion in bonds for Venezuela's state-run oil company, is working behind the scenes as Gov. Rick Scott seeks to prevent Florida from doing business with entities supporting the Maduro regime.

Scott hasn't outlined details of the proposal he intends to put before the state Cabinet on Aug. 16. But just saying he wants to make a change that could affect the state's investments has drawn attention from the Wall Street firm.